[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 57 (Thursday, May 11, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO CALHOUN HIGH SCHOOL

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 11, 2006

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Calhoun High School 
(CHS) of Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, TX. On January 6-7, 2006 the CHS 
advanced government class, taught by Gennie Westbrook, traveled to 
Austin to participate in the Texas State final meet for We the People: 
The Citizen and the Constitution. Calhoun High School ranked second of 
the seven schools participating in the meet, which is the highest rank 
yet achieved by a CHS class. In 1995, 2002, and 2003, the CHS class 
placed third. Students participating in the state contest were Holly 
Batchelder, Matthew Boyett, Ryan Cardona, Kenneth Chang, Karl Chen, 
Andrew Delgado, Carlos Galindo, Julio Herrera, Paul Jenkins, Brian Kao, 
Dustin Lambden, Kayla Meyer, Jake Prejean, and Thomas Reagan.
  Twenty-two CHS juniors accompanied the group as observers. We the 
People alumnae who also accompanied the group to assist as guest judges 
for practice times were Jessica Davenport, John Westbrook, Bobby Van 
Borssum, Redford Hong, William Krause, and Jason Fite.
  Local community members who helped the class in their weekly practice 
sessions after school were Connie Hunt and Assistant District Attorney 
Shannon Salyer, who have worked with each year's class for several 
years. Others who assisted the class in preparation this year included 
District Attorney Dan Heard, Assistant District Attorney Pat Brown, and 
Texas A&M aerospace PhD student Darren Hartl.
  We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is a nationally 
acclaimed civic education program focusing on the history and 
principles of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. In addition to 
the requirements of the standard government class, students in this 
program must master a rigorous curriculum in the background and 
philosophy of the U.S. Constitution. They participate in oral 
assessment that involves both prepared and extemporaneous responses to 
challenging questions. In this nationwide competition, students play 
the role of ``experts in the Constitution,'' testifying before a mock 
Congressional hearing. Among other criteria, students are evaluated on 
their depth of knowledge, ability to apply academic data to current 
problems, and understanding of landmark Supreme Court cases. Teams of 
three students each present a four-minute prepared testimony to answer 
questions they have researched all semester, and then they respond to 
extemporaneous follow-up questions from the judges for another six 
minutes. Judges at the state contest include practicing attorneys, 
university professors, historians, and legislative staff members.
  In 2001, the Center for Civic Education conducted a survey of We the 
People alumnae, focusing on voting and civic participation. Among the 
former students, 82 percent reported that they voted in the November 
2000 election. In addition, 77 percent had voted in previous elections. 
By contrast, the National Election Studies reported 48 percent turnout 
in the November 2000 election by other respondents aged 18-30. Research 
also indicates that participation in We the People programs helps 
encourage greater interest in politics and public affairs, increased 
involvement in government decision making at all levels, greater 
willingness to respect the opinions and rights of others, and better 
preparation for the privileges and responsibilities of democratic 
citizenship. More information about the program may be found at the 
Center for Civic Education website, http://www.civiced.org/
wethepeople.php.
  We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution is the Advanced U.S. 
Government class available every fall to Calhoun High School seniors. 
The first place team from each state traveled to Washington, D.C. for 
the National Final Competition on April 29-May 1, 2006. McAllen's Lamar 
Academy team, taught by LeAnna Morse, won first place this year in 
Texas, and her class often receives Honorable Mention as one of the top 
10 schools at the national final meet.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate teacher Gennie Westbrook, the 
students of Calhoun High School and all the others participating in 
this important effort.

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